Deputy commerce minister ready to revise FTA agreements
MCOT News, Thailand
Deputy commerce minister ready to revise FTA agreements
9 April 2008
BANGKOK, April 9 (TNA) - Deputy Commerce Minister Wiroon Techapaiboon on Wednesday stated he was prepared to revise free trade area (FTA) agreements made with many countries to ensure that Thailand benefits most from them.
Discussing the international trade talks policy and the FTA negotiation direction, Mr. Wiroon said he would confer with industrial groups and state agencies regarding ways to cope with problems arising from the FTA agreements.
The private sector would be encouraged to position its products with growth potential into the world market.
Public relations would be boosted to give the public, particularly people at the grass-roots level, more understanding of what the country would benefit from in a range of FTA agreements.
He conceded that most farmers had misunderstandings about the FTAs. They believed they were experiencing difficulties since more foreign products were being shipped into the Thai market in large amounts under the FTA agreement.
Mr. Wiroon explained that an organisation would be set up to provide one-stop services for entrepreneurs, producers, exporters and farmers who want advice on ways to make better use of the FTA agreements.
Concurrently, the government will give all segments of the economy an opportunity to propose suggestions and participate in the trade negotiation since it understood the opening of the market had both positive and negative effects on them, he said.
